Privatizing Public Works Proposed In Wauconda

Wauconda Mayor James Eschenbauch has fired the public works director and is considering having a private firm take over management of the village's water and sewer service.

The mayor's moves face strong opposition from current employees, many of whom support former Supt. Jeff Kuester, a 30-year public works employee who was fired Dec. 2. Other department employees said they fear their jobs may be on the line if a private company takes over.

At a crowded Village Board meeting last week, the mayor stressed that "this is not a done deal," and about seven residents spoke out against privatization.

But this week, village officials said they are working to set up a meeting with a private firm called Environmental Management Corp.

EMC is based in Missouri, with offices in Chicago. Cost estimates are still undetermined, pending the company's evaluation of the Wauconda facilities. Cost savings must be "significant" before privatization is approved, Eschenbauch said.

He said the village has been investigating the possibility of privatization for more than a year.

The Public Works Department has dealt with several problems in recent years, including criticism three years ago after weather conditions overloaded the sewer system throughout the village.

The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency issued several citations over the matter, according to Village Atty. Rudolph Magna, and the village used about $4.5 million in reserve public works funds to fix the problems.

"We lost faith in (Kuester's) ability to run the department," the mayor said last week, without specifying details. "We found certain things at public works that were not getting done. Using a private management firm may be a way to show a large savings to taxpayers and provide better service."

Current public works employees question any potential savings. They believe that the mayor is using privatization as a tool to break up their newly formed union, American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Local 24, which represents all village employees except clerks. With 19 members, the union has been negotiating with the village since May.

Several people asked the mayor at last week's board meeting whether privatization was merely a backlash for a lawsuit brought by 11 public works employees last February. The mayor denied any connection.

The suit, asking for $35,000 in overtime pay, was settled out of court in August and no details were disclosed.

Union members are strongly united against privatization.

"Using private firms drains the profits from the community," said union representative Betsy Hastings. "It can end up costing the taxpayers money."

She added that the public works employees "are community members who will not sit idly by as their jobs are eliminated." The mayor countered that no jobs are expected to be eliminated.

If EMC is selected, the eight employees whose jobs would be affected would likely have the opportunity to work the same position for EMC, according to Eschenbauch. Employees, however, fear their retirement benefits would be lost.

Todd Schmidt, a union member and public works employee, summarized the feelings of several people around him at the meeting, saying, "We plan to fight it the best we can."